Wrong airport approach.

Attributes
ACN	239617
Time
Date	199304
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ntu
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : orf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 121 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 368
ASRS Report	239617
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On apr/sun/93, approximately PM30Z, under control of norfolk approach, being radar vectored to final approach course. There are 2 airports among several in this particular area that have single runways with their particular runways aligned within the same particular direction, and located in very close proximity to each other. A vector was given to heading 030 degrees and controller told us airport was just off to 10 O'clock. Made turn onto a final for that runway. Runway did not line up on proper heading. Realized wrong airport just as controller notified us at the same time. Made slight turn to right to align on runway at correct airport. The airport of intended landing (a military field) has no navaids available to us as a backup to check alignment to proper runway when being radar vectored under VFR conditions to final course for a visual approach. This was first trip to airport of arrival, second landing of the day. At this airport first landing was at YY00 am, same airport, the morning of apr/sun/93. Unfamiliarity with area a contributing factor. There are at least 6 airports within close proximity of each other in this area. The navy field has ATIS available. If a short message on the ATIS urging 'caution when approaching the airport due to similar runways at airports in close proximity to landing airport' I feel the above situation would not have occurred. I have heard messages of this type on other ATIS's around the country where airports are close to each other with similar runway alignments. It took 5 seconds to read caution which would not take much space in an ATIS information format.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT APCH.

Narrative: ON APR/SUN/93, APPROX PM30Z, UNDER CTL OF NORFOLK APCH, BEING RADAR VECTORED TO FINAL APCH COURSE. THERE ARE 2 ARPTS AMONG SEVERAL IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA THAT HAVE SINGLE RWYS WITH THEIR PARTICULAR RWYS ALIGNED WITHIN THE SAME PARTICULAR DIRECTION, AND LOCATED IN VERY CLOSE PROX TO EACH OTHER. A VECTOR WAS GIVEN TO HDG 030 DEGS AND CTLR TOLD US ARPT WAS JUST OFF TO 10 O'CLOCK. MADE TURN ONTO A FINAL FOR THAT RWY. RWY DID NOT LINE UP ON PROPER HDG. REALIZED WRONG ARPT JUST AS CTLR NOTIFIED US AT THE SAME TIME. MADE SLIGHT TURN TO R TO ALIGN ON RWY AT CORRECT ARPT. THE ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG (A MIL FIELD) HAS NO NAVAIDS AVAILABLE TO US AS A BACKUP TO CHK ALIGNMENT TO PROPER RWY WHEN BEING RADAR VECTORED UNDER VFR CONDITIONS TO FINAL COURSE FOR A VISUAL APCH. THIS WAS FIRST TRIP TO ARPT OF ARR, SECOND LNDG OF THE DAY. AT THIS ARPT FIRST LNDG WAS AT YY00 AM, SAME ARPT, THE MORNING OF APR/SUN/93. UNFAMILIARITY WITH AREA A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THERE ARE AT LEAST 6 ARPTS WITHIN CLOSE PROX OF EACH OTHER IN THIS AREA. THE NAVY FIELD HAS ATIS AVAILABLE. IF A SHORT MESSAGE ON THE ATIS URGING 'CAUTION WHEN APCHING THE ARPT DUE TO SIMILAR RWYS AT ARPTS IN CLOSE PROX TO LNDG ARPT' I FEEL THE ABOVE SIT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE HEARD MESSAGES OF THIS TYPE ON OTHER ATIS'S AROUND THE COUNTRY WHERE ARPTS ARE CLOSE TO EACH OTHER WITH SIMILAR RWY ALIGNMENTS. IT TOOK 5 SECONDS TO READ CAUTION WHICH WOULD NOT TAKE MUCH SPACE IN AN ATIS INFO FORMAT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.